Stockholm car dealer prosecuted for buying Russian Embassy vehicles

A car dealer in the Stockholm area is facing prosecution for violating international sanctions after his company purchased three vehicles owned by the Russian Embassy in Sweden. The vehicles, consisting of two Toyota Avensis models and one Ford Mondeo, were purchased for 415,000 SEK.

Prosecutors allege that the transaction was structured to bypass EU sanctions imposed due to the war in Ukraine. Instead of paying the embassy directly, the payment was reportedly made to a suspected front company, which then transferred the funds to accounts abroad to conceal the nature of the deal. Karolina Lindekrantz, a prosecutor at the National Unit against International and Organized Crime, stated that without a special permit, it is illegal to conduct business with or receive anything from the Russian Federation.

The accused dealer denies the charges, claiming the purchase was a mistake and that he was unaware the cars belonged to the Russian Embassy. The individual acting as the intermediary in the deal is reportedly known to authorities for involvement in previous investigations, including a large-scale money laundering operation involving fraudulent invoices.